


When We Like Mary but Hate John

by lightningbugqueen



Series: We Hate John Winchester: A Collection [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive John Winchester, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Castiel (Supernatural), Asexual Character, Coming Out, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, John Winchester Being an Asshole, M/M, Post-Episode: s11e23 Alpha and Omega, Tears, We Hate John Winchester, accepting Mary, hunter husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:36:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28846182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningbugqueen/pseuds/lightningbugqueen
Summary: What if Dean and Castiel were married when Mary came back? Would she accept them?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: We Hate John Winchester: A Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110368
Comments: 8
Kudos: 169





	When We Like Mary but Hate John

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This took me way too long to write for something that less than 3k, but enjoy!

“I’m sorry Cas,” Dean said the second he closed the door to their room. 

“For what?” the angel asked earnestly. 

“I didn’t tell her the truth. About us.” 

That night had been a wild one. A big bad who apologies and backs down, saving Dean and giving him a gift in return. A mother raised from the dead. Coming home to find that Sam and Castiel had a british lady, who had tried to kill them, chained up in the dungeon. And to top it off, Dean’s stupid insecurites managed to make him hide his  _ husband _ from his mother. 

“Dean, there’s nothing to apologize for. I understand why you didn’t tell her, and that you will in your own time.” 

“That’s not why, Cas,” he said as he sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands. “When I married you, I promised myself to never be ashamed of who I am again. I spent years of my life thinking there was something wrong with me, and you finally helped me get over that. Now here I am, forcing myself back in the closet because mom’s back. I don’t want to do that to you, and I don’t want to do that to myself.” Cas walked over and wrapped his arm around the hunter’s shoulders. 

“Dean,” he said, “I understand. Would you like to go back out there and tell her right now?” 

“No,” he shook his head, “I already blew it for today, and I’m really tired. Let’s get some shut eye. I’ll tell her in the morning.” 

“Of course, my love. Why don’t you put on your pajamas, and I’ll go get us some water?” Dean nodded his head and went to the dresser as Castiel left. He pulled on his Scooby Doo pajama pants and an old Zeppelin tee. He used to sleep in his boxer or fully dressed, but since he had begun sharing a bed with Cas, he had found he very much liked the comfortable clothing. 

Two minutes later the angel returned with a glass of water. 

“Sam was interrogating the british woman,” he said, “She seemed very good at withstanding his techniques, but I assume he will crack her eventually. That, or let her stay down there. Have you ever considered installing a cell?”

“I dunno, Cas,” Dean replied sleepily, already pulling back to covers, “I’m too tired to think about that right now. Talk in the morning?” He fluffed his pillow and flopped onto the beloved memory foam mattress. 

“Of course,” Cas said, “Let’s rest.” 

With that the pair settled themselves beneath the blankets. On a normal night, they would spoon or Dean would end clutching onto Castiel like an octopus, but tonight Cas comforted Dean in the best way he knew how. 

Dean was wrapped up in his arms as the angel laid quiet kisses on his lips. Dean’s eyes were closed, his breathing even, but he was still awake. He found solace in the quiet intimacy he found in these nights with Castiel. One of their main issues before forging a relationship was Castiel thinking Dean wouldn’t want him if he didn’t give him more than kind kisses and late night cuddles. It had taken Dean a while to rid Cas’s mind of those thoughts, but it worked out eventually. 

Now, they were as close to a perfect couple as they could get. They helped each other when one was hurting, joked around just like always, and tried their hardest to communicate their thoughts and feelings. It almost always worked. 

Cas continued to use touch to proclaim his affection for Dean. He kissed across his face with soothing kisses on his forehead and light pecks on his closed eyes before returning to Dean’s lips. They were happy to do this until they fell asleep, but then the door opened. 

“Ugh,” Dean groaned, long past the stage where he was embarrassed to be affectionate with Cas in front of his brother. “Go ‘way, Sammy.” The person at the door remained silent. 

Dean cracked an eyelid and scrambled up against the headboard. Mary Winchester, with an extremely embarrassed look on her face, stood with her hand still on the knob. 

“Mom!” he blurted out, fear evident in his voice, “What are you- How- What’s-”

“I’ll just… go,” she said awkwardly and spared one last glance between them before closing the door in front of her. They heard hurried footsteps down the hallway. 

Dean was stunned. He was frozen in place, gaze locked on the door. Why didn’t he lock it? Why didn’t he tell Mom not to come in here? Why didn’t he just get over himself and tell her? Well that answer was obvious, especially with the way she reacted. She was just like Dad. Of course she was, they were married! She was going to hate him now, to call him slurs and say Cas corrupted him. She would probably leave and never come back, telling him that he wasn’t worth staying. 

“Dean?” Cas asked quietly, breaking him out of his thoughts. The angel moved up the bed beside him and drew him back into his arms, “Oh, love. Shhh, shhh.” He wiped away tears Dean didn’t even realize were tracking their way down his cheeks. 

“She- I- How-?” Dean asked, still at a loss for words. He remained silent for a moment, before he finally found them. “Cas? Is she going to leave me again?” He sniffled, tears coming stronger. 

“What?” Cas asked, brow furrowing in confusion. 

“She saw us. Is she going to leave? Do you,” he cried harder, “Does she hate me now?” 

“No, Dean, no,” Cas said, “She doesn't hate you. She’s your mother, of course she loves you. She always will.”

“That’s supposed to be the same for fathers,” Dean said, shoving his face in Castiel’s chest and hiccuping. 

“Dean,” Cas said quietly, “Tell me what you saw your mother do just now.”

“Why?” Did his husband just want to bring out more pain? 

“Trust me, love.”

“She-- she opened the door. I thought she was Sammy. She didn’t answer, so we looked at her. She stared at us all-- all  _ disgusted _ and then she glared at us and left.” It hurt him to say it. 

“That’s not what I saw,” Cas said comfortingly, “Can I tell you what I saw?” Dean nodded. “She opened the door. You thought she was Sam. She didn’t respond, so we looked at her. She was shocked to see her son with a secret significant other, then was made uncomfortable because we are in bed. She left in a hurry because the past hours have been incredibly hard on her, and she doesn't know how to deal with all this new information,” he said calmly, practiced in showing Dean the difference between what he saw and what actually happened. He wasn’t positive his analysis was correct, but Dean becoming more stressed was not a good thing for anyone. 

“So she doesn’t hate me then?”

“No, Dean. And if by any off chance she does, I will talk to her and make her see sense. There is not a single reason anyone on this planet should hate you, Dean. You are the kindest, bravest, most loving human being I have ever known. Even knowing every little secret about you, I still love you as who you are. You are you. Still beautiful. Still Dean Winchester.”

“Thank you, Cas,” Dean said, smiling minutely into his chest, “I love you too.” 

“I know,” he said quietly, “Now why don’t we go to sleep for real this time? We can still talk to Mary tomorrow morning, and you can get a good night of sleep.”

“M’kay,” he mumbled as Cas laid them back down. He tucked the hunter’s head beneath his chin and wrapped his arms around his human protectively. What Cas hadn’t said to Dean was that if in such a scenario where Mary resented his son for who he loved and continued to believe that it was wrong, Castiel had no intention of letting her anywhere near Dean. It was his life’s mission to make sure Dean was never hurt, and he intended to stand by that. 

* * *

The next morning, Cas woke before Dean. He watched the man sleep for a few minutes. The quiet rise and fall of his chest, the smoothness of his features, and the little snuffling as if he were talking in a dream were all so soothing. Cas could be perfectly content to watch him, alive and well, for hours at a time. However, today he had things he needed to do.

He kissed a still sleeping Dean lightly on the forehead before slipping out from under the covers. He slid on his slippers (a present from Dean, they had bumblebees on them) and softly closed the bedroom door behind him on his way out. 

His slippered feet barely made a sound as he walked towards the kitchen. When he was this quiet, Dean usually referred to it as “creepy.” Cas had never really understood that; it was purely instinct that he was so silent. 

He peeked through the doorway. Sam’s mug was out and used, which meant he was already on his morning run. Mary was sipping from Dean’s (It was a gift from Castiel, there was a picture of a pie with the words “I love cherry pie” on it) as she sat at the wooden table. 

“Mary.” he said. She jumped then turned around with an apprehensive look on her face. 

“Castiel,” she said and shakily grinned, “I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes, Dean says I sneak up on people.” He walked over and sat across from her. 

“Mary, I was hoping I could talk to you about something,” he said, folding his hands on the table calmly. 

“Me too. You first.” She waved her hand at him, a gesture Cas had seen Dean do often. 

“Okay.” He gathered himself then began the spiel he composed in his head the last night. “It has obviously come to your attention that Dean and I are in a relationship. Firstly, I want you to know that we had no intention of keeping it a secret. We wanted to ease you into life here, and were planning on telling you this morning. I also understand that you come from a very different time. However, I will not allow you to treat Dean as if he is worth less than if he were to be married to a woman.”

“I’m sorry,” Mary cut in, “Treat him differently? And you’re married?”

“Yes, we were married under false names nearly a year ago. And to your first question, both Dean and I gathered from your reaction last night that you do not approve of same-sex relationship. While I am actually a multi-dimensional wavelength of celestial intent, I am in a male body. So if you-”

“Why do you think I wouldn’t approve?”

“You were shocked to see us together, you immediately left the room, and I’ll admit I drew some conclusions from how John felt about non-heterosexual people.” Cas was confused now. 

“Castiel, I wasn’t shocked because Dean was with a man. Well, I was, but I don’t disapprove of it. I was shocked because he said you two were buddies, then I walked in on you two in bed together.”

“Oh,” Cas said quietly. 

“And what did John do that makes you think I would treat Dean differently?”

“I do not wish to speak ill of your husband so soon after you have returned.”

“Tell me.” Cas saw that not all of Dean’s determination had come from his father. 

“John became a different person after you died. He treated his sons, Dean especially, as soldiers rather than children. He left Dean alone to take care of Sam in motel rooms for weeks, with barely enough food and money to live. Dean never talks about it, but I’m fairly certain he hit him regularly, Mary. And, to answer your question, Dean told me that when he was in highschool he experimented with boys. One day, when he thought John wasn’t around, he brought a boyfriend back to the motel. John walked in on them. He called Dean slurs Dean didn’t even know existed, then proceeded to beat him up. Dean never dated or slept with another man from then on. Until me, that is. He took years after John’s death to come to terms with his bisexuality, and it is still a struggle for him not to feel like something is wrong with him. This was a big part of why he was apprehensive to tell you, and why we both assumed you would not be as accepting as you appear to be now.” 

During the process of his speech, Mary had leaned back in her chair and covered her mouth with her hands. Tears pricked in her eyes and threatened to run down her face. Before she could say anything, a low voice filled the room. 

“It’s not as bad as he made it seem.” Dean leaned against the doorway, hands stuffed in the pockets of his dead-guy robe and shoulders hunched with anxiety. 

“Dean,” Cas breathed, smiling despite himself, “How much did you hear?” 

“I came in right around the time she realized we’re married.” He walked to Castiel’s side slowly and settled himself on the arm of his chair. Cas wrapped an arm around Dean’s waist instinctively. Mary stared between them before finally finding her voice. 

“Dean, I’m so  _ sorry _ !” she said, still shocked by the angel’s story, “I can’t believe- How could he? Dean, baby, John had no right to do that to you. That was not the man I married, and definitely not the man I love. I will love you no matter what, Dean. I don’t care who you love, so long as you’re happy. It’s horrible that John would ever make you feel otherwise, and that I made you think that last night. Cas obviously loves you, and you deserve to be happy.” A tear trickled down Dean’s face, and Mary was outright crying. “C’mere,” she said and opened her arms. 

Cas dropped his arm from around Dean and slightly nudged him towards his mother. The usually stoic man made a strangled sound and rushed to his now standing mom. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and he buried his face in her shoulder. 

“Thank you,” he murmured. She rubbed his back soothingly and made kind, motherly hushing noises. 

After a few minutes of silence, she looked at Cas, who had previously been standing and smiling at his husband. 

“Get over here,” she said, “You’re part of the family too.” One of the angel’s rare and heartwarming grins split his face and Mary pulled him into the hug. 

It had been a rough 24 hours, but Cas could say with confidence that it was going to be perfectly okay. 

* * *

Two hours later, when they were back to sitting at the table and talking, Cas remembered something. 

“Mary,” he said, shifting his position in Dean’s lap, “What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?”

“Oh, that if you hurt Dean I would rip your balls off and shove them down your throat.” 

“Mom!” Dean exclaimed. He looked between his husband's thoroughly shocked face and his mother’s evil grin. On second thought, they were going to have their hands full. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! If you did, leave me a comment/kudos to let me know!  
> Check out the other fic in this series, "Real Family." It does not occur in this same universe, but it is what would happen if later on in the series, John Winchester came back.


End file.
